XenCenter

Creating a New SR

To create a storage repository, select New Storage on the toolbar.

Alternatively, do one of the following:

  • On the Storage tab for the selected pool or server, click New SR.
  • On the Storage menu, click New SR.

Select the physical storage type on the first page of the New Storage Repository wizard. Follow the steps in the wizard as it takes you through the configuration process for that storage type. The set of available settings in the wizard depends on the storage system vendor/model you select on the first page.

To create a thin-provisioned shared GFS2 SR on block storage, you can choose either an iSCSI or hardware HBA repository type. However, using thin-provisioned shared GFS2 block storage has additional requirements and constraints. Before using this type of SR, review Thin-provisioned shared GFS2 block storage.

SR creation steps

The New Storage Repository wizard takes you through the process of creating an SR:

  1. On the Type page, you select the type of underlying storage:
    • NFS: In NFS VHD SRs, VM images are stored as thin-provisioned VHD format files on a shared NFS target. Existing NFS servers that support NFS V4 and NFS V3 over TCP/IP can be used immediately as a storage repository for virtual disks. NFS SRs can be shared, allowing any VMs with their virtual disks in an NFS VHD storage repository to migrate between servers in the same resource pool.
    • iSCSI: Software iSCSI is supported using the open-iSCSI software iSCSI initiator or by using a supported iSCSI Host Bus Adapter (HBA).
    • Hardware HBA: Hardware HBA SRs connect to a Fibre Channel (FC), Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) or shared Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) LUNs via an HBA. Complete the configuration required to expose the LUN before running the New Storage Repository wizard: the wizard automatically probes for available LUNs and displays a list of all the LUNs found.
    • SMB Storage: SMB servers are a common form of Windows shared filesystem infrastructure. These servers can be used as a storage repository substrate for virtual disks. Virtual Machine images in SMB servers are stored as thinly provisioned VHD files on an SMB target.
    • Software FCoE (deprecated): This option allows you to configure a Software FCoE SR. Software FCoE provides a standard framework to which hardware vendors can plug in their FCoE offload capable drivers and get the same benefits of a hardware-based FCoE. This feature eliminates the need for using expensive HBAs. Before you use the New Storage Repository wizard to create a Software FCoE storage, manually complete the required configuration to expose a LUN to the host.
    • Window File Sharing (SMB/CIFS): This option allows you to handle CD images stored as files in ISO format available as a Windows (SMB/CIFS) share. This type of SR can be useful for creating shared ISO libraries, for example, VM installation images.
    • NFS ISO: NFS ISO SRs handle CD images stored as files in ISO format available as an NFS share. This type of SR can be useful for creating shared ISO libraries, for example, VM installation images.
  2. On the Name page, enter the name of the new SR. By default, the wizard automatically generates a description of the SR, including a summary of the configuration options you select as you progress through the wizard. To enter your own description, clear the Auto-generate description check box and type in the Description box.
  3. If you select iSCSI or Hardware HBA as your storage type, the wizard displays the Provisioning page. Select the type of provisioning to use for this SR. The options available are
    • Thin provisioning (GFS2). This type of provisioning is only available on clustered pools. For more information about clustering, see Change pool properties
    • Full provisioning (LVM)
  4. On the Location page, you enter the location of the underlying storage array and set configuration settings. The options available on this and subsequent wizard pages depend on the type of storage you selected on the first page of the wizard.
  5. Click Finish to create the SR and close the wizard.

XenServer 8

Citrix Hypervisor 8.2 Cumulative Update 1

Creating a New SR